Spotlight: Griffith University

Griffith University is a public research university in South East Queensland on the east coast of Australia. Located in beautiful sunny Brisbane, the location is a big attraction for many international students. Brisbane has been home to dozens of large cultural, international and sporting events including the 1982 Commonwealth Games, the Goodwill Games in 2001, and the 2014 G-20, so to say there it a lot to do there is an understatement! With over 44,000 students, the university offers undergraduate, postgraduate and research degrees in subjects such as business, criminology, law, education, engineering, and science & aviation.

What you need to know about Griffith University

The initial campus that was built for Griffith University in 1965 was initially supposed to be another campus for Queensland University, which was experiencing a large influx of students. In 1970 this idea was scrapped and plans for Griffith University began; teaching began in 1975 when 451 students enrolled at the university to study Australian Environmental Studies, Humanities, Modern Asian Studies and Science. The university has been expanding since the 90s. There are almost 10,000 international students at the university, which is over 20% of the total students at the university.

Strongest fields of study at Griffith University

A degree from Griffith University can open up a world of opportunities. University is much more rewarding than life at school and if you choose to study at Griffith University you will meet dozens of new people while you study a degree of your choice. As well as seminar and classroom study, you’ll have the chance to experience work in a real-life environment with the industrial work placements on offer. Embarking on a degree after twelve years of school can be difficult, especially if you’re coming from abroad, but Griffith University offers a fantastic range of support services and resources to help you along the way.

There are hundreds of courses at Griffith University, all of which are split into different schools. From the Arts, Education and Law school to the Business, Health and Science schools, Griffith can offer international students places in Criminology, Criminal Justice, Humanities, Law, Film School, Allied Health Science, Marketing, Medicine and Natural Sciences. The University also has researchers working in almost 40 centres and institutions; they investigate areas such as water science, climate change and criminology.

In 2015, Griffith University scored within the top 51-100 for law, education, politics, art, and architecture degrees. It is even considered to be within the top 100 law schools in the world (QS World University Rankings).

Famous alumni

Since Griffith University opened, there have been several well-known sports, media and academic successes – some of the graduates can even be considered famous world-wide. For example, Jenny Morris, Duncan Free, Naomi Castle and Steven Bradbury are all Olympic gold medallist winners in different sports; each of them has attended Griffith University.

Likewise, several politicians have attended the university, including James McGrath the politician, senator, and former advisor to London Mayor Boris Johnson. Jackie Trad, who has been the Deputy Premier of Queensland since 2015, also attended the University in the 80s.

University life

Like most universities, Griffith has a wide selection of cultural, intellectual, sporting and social groups. For example, the university’s Student Guild is an organization that looks after social clubs on the Golden Coast Campus. This includes accommodation, student issues, home-sickness, and employment woes.

The university is also one of the few which offers a Bushwalking Club. GRUBS (Griffith University Bushwalking Club), is dedicated to having fun outdoors; from bushwalking to rock-climbing, whitewater kayaking and camping, GRUBS is a guaranteed good time for all students.

The university also has a sports college, where athletes are invited to join and hone their athletic abilities while juggling their degree. For Pakistani students there is also an English Language Institute, where people form non-English speaking backgrounds can study English to improve their language abilities. In the long run, this will help you if you want to work in an English speaking country or travel.

The local area

There is no shortage of attractions in South East Queensland. For example, Kangaroo Point suburb is a popular place for picnics in Brisbane. Located directly east across the Brisbane River, the suburb has two main features; Story Bridge, a historical steel cantilever bridge, and Kangaroo Point Cliffs a stone quarry, ideal for rock-climbing. Alternatively, if you take a short drive away the town centre you can see Mt. Coo-tha and Moreton Bay stretched out over the breath taking horizon.

If you choose to study at Griffith University then you’re only a few miles from the Brisbane Powerhouse in New Farm. The Powerhouse is home to both international and domestic talent; it is the hub of creativity in Brisbane; there are two restaurants, art shows, comedy clubs, festivals and markets at the Powerhouse – so make sure you visit!

And don’t worry about not getting your fair share of Pakistani cuisine! Restaurant’s such as Splice by Naveed, and Zam Zam are both local to Brisbane and offer both Pakistani and Indian cuisine. Furthermore, if you’d prefer to buy your own Pakistani food you can find several Asian supermarkets dotted around Brisbane – Australia and the World Supermarket located on Gaynesford Road is just one example of a shop that sells Pakistani cuisine.

Entry requirements

Griffith University selects students for admission to its undergraduate programmes on the basis of merit. For a Pakistani student to study at Griffith University they must first pass an English language test. A minimum overall band score of 6.5 on the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) must be achieved before your application can be considered. The test must have been done within the last two years otherwise it is void.

For a Pakistani student to stand a chance of being accepted into Griffith University, they must first ensure that they meet the entry requirements. The student must either have 3 impressive GCE A Level’s or a combination of AS and A Levels. Alternatively, a student can apply if they have scored a grade average of 50 in their final year results (applies only to Pre-Eng and Pre-Med streams), or the successful completion of a recognized pre-tertiary or foundation program (grade average of 80 or above).

Think you’d like to study at Griffith University? Great choice! Browse their full list of courses here.

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Armani is a final year English Literature and Creative Writing student at Newcastle University with a passion for writing. A few of Armani's main interests include politics, reading, football and Chelsea FC.